diff --git a/core/modules/history/history.module b/core/modules/history/history.module
index 38dd8ab..faa2dae 100644
--- a/core/modules/history/history.module
+++ b/core/modules/history/history.module
@@ -41,6 +41,47 @@ function history_read($nid) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Retrieves the timestamp for the current user's last view of a nodes.
+ *
+ * @param array $nids
+ *   A node ID.
+ *
+ * @return int
+ *   If a node has been previously viewed by the user, the timestamp in seconds
+ *   of when the last view occurred; otherwise, zero.
+ */
+function history_read_multiple($nids) {
+  $history = &drupal_static('history_read', array());
+
+  $return = array();
+
+  $nodes_to_read = array();
+  foreach ($nids as $nid) {
+    if (isset($history[$nid])) {
+      $return[$nid] = $history[$nid];
+    }
+    else {
+      $nodes_to_read[$nid] = 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (empty($nodes_to_read)) {
+    return $return;
+  }
+
+  $result = db_query('SELECT timestamp FROM {history} WHERE uid = :uid AND nid IN(:nids)', array(
+    ':uid' => \Drupal::currentUser()->id(),
+    ':nids' => array_keys($nodes_to_read),
+  ));
+  foreach ($result as $row) {
+    $nodes_to_read[$row->nid] = $row->timestamp;
+  }
+  $history += $nodes_to_read;
+
+  return $return + $nodes_to_read;
+}
+
+/**
  * Updates 'last viewed' timestamp of the specified entity for the current user.
  *
  * @param $nid